From then on, I didn't speak at all. I kept my word.
People thought I was strange. They tried to trick me into talking or used some sort of weird sign language to tell me what they meant, as if I couldn't hear them for myself. Nathaniel was the only one kind to me, but I couldn't stand the way he spoke to me. Of course, I couldn't tell him that. There was also this blonde girl who kept giving me the eye. She looked rather like Nathaniel, but I hadn't even seen her face properly yet. She wouldn't look at me straight, even if she was giving me funny looks.
One day, I decided to ditch class. I wanted to show everyone (including Nathaniel) that I wasn't a goody-goody two shoes. I couldn't be bothered with Maths anyway. I hadn't done my homework. I usually did it as soon as I got back to the orphanage. That's right, I'm from an orphanage. They only sent me here because I got in trouble at our last school. They like to send all the younger kids to the same primary school, and all the older kids to the same secondary school. That's how it was for me, until now. I messed up. I wasn't really that bad. Even the really bad girls in the orphanage hadn't moved schools. I had attacked one of these girls in my class called Amber, and apparently she had to move schools too after what happened. She was talking trash about my mum and dad and that sort of thing. I'll tell you more about that another time.
So, let's get back to business. I didn't go to my RE class. I decided to hop along to the playground and hang out there, or maybe I would go to the toilets first...
"Well, well, look who we have here," said a slick voice behind me.
I jumped and turned around. I was at the edge of the playground, nearly to a corner, and no one in the other classes could see me. I saw a boy in my year, another pretty good looking one. He wasn't wearing his uniform properly, his black blazer stuck all over with pin badges on the lapels and wearing a rock star t-shirt. I knew where that band was from. It was a band called Winged Skull. I liked listening to them sometimes. I had a t-shirt like that, but it had a more feminine style. His hair was red, but it was dyed. He raised his dark eyebrows at me, which didn't match his hair. He obviously had black hair naturally.
"Ah, it's the new girl."
I shrugged.
"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?" he paused, and then he grinned. "Oh, I remember. This little girl doesn't talk, does she?"
I shook my head.
"What a shame. Do I have to make you talk, or what? It's kind of weird."
I shrugged.
"I see. So I will have to make her talk. It won't be pleasant, either, I don't think, not for you anyways. So you're a redhead too? No, you're more ginger. The name's Castiel. What's yours?"
I shook my head again. If he called me by my full name, I was going to have to talk.
"I know you anyway. You're Miss Perkins, aren't you? Something Perkins?"
I glared at him.
"Oh, I remember now," he said, smirking, "It was something like... Ginevra, wasn't it?"
A strange animal-like growl ripped through my teeth. This Castiel was driving me mad already. I knew him from class. He never said anything either – he was really moody. So why was he talking to me? Was he trying to wind me up? Well, he had succeeded.
"Shut up!" I yelled, "My name is not Ginevra!"
Castiel held his hands up, pretending to back away. "Whoa, get down! I think I'll stick with Ginger. So you can talk, then? That's a new one. I'll have to tell the others this."
I shook my head hard and ran for it, tearing across the playground with Castiel behind me in hot pursuit. How did I get rid of him? Aha! I took a right turning past the English block and headed for the girls' toilets. Castiel grabbed hold of my arm, and I twisted round to hit him, but he pulled my arm over my back so I was in a restrain position. I tried to see if I could bite him but I couldn't get to his hand or anything.
"Leave me alone!" I whispered. I couldn't speak. Why did I speak to him? What was wrong with me now?
"It's all right, I've got you," he laughed through his teeth. "Why won't you keep – still?"
I struggled against him, then kicked my foot back and hit him right where it hurts most.
"Crap!" he yelled, letting go. Suddenly he grabbed my arm again... or was it Castiel?
"Nice kick you gave there," I heard a smooth voice say, "I would stay away from her, Castiel. She's not your type."
There was a bit more arguing, but I couldn't really hear it. I was dazed, and the person who had obviously got rid of that annoying Castiel held me by my shoulders and looked at me in the face.
"Are you all right? Ginny! Talk to me!"
I stared at him. I held myself, so that I would blurt his name out or go, "What?" like I was totally clueless (well, I was).
I saw his amazing face, framed by blonde hair and then his dark brown eyes. I saw a perfect uniform and a pocketful of pens...
Nathaniel looked at me, then saw I was all right, and shook me by the shoulders, like he was annoyed with me. It was sort of frightening, really.
"What were you doing? Why aren't you in class?"
I shrugged, not looking at him.
"You ditched, did you? Well, you're lucky I was just coming back from taking a load of sheets to Reprographics!"
I raised my eyebrows.
"Don't give me that. Why were you hanging around with Castiel?"
I looked down.
"What?" He looked worried all of a sudden. "What did he do to you?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing?" I nodded. "Well, that's good. And stay clear of him from now on."
I gave him an inquiring look.
"You're a little girl, Ginny. You're smaller than the others." I glared at him, like I glared at Castiel. "It's true. And Castiel... well, he has a bit of a reputation, shall we say?" He looked slightly uncomfortable. "It's all right. Just – just watch out where you're going, all right? And go to class. Castiel is a rebel, he ditches lessons. I've seen that you're clever and you shouldn't ditch it." He was so stupidly grown up, but at least he had said something nice to me. "You don't want to end up in his clutches, trust me."
He went back with me to class, his hand on my back again. I hadn't seen him to that to the other girls at Sweet Amoris. Maybe he thought I was weird.
"Take care of yourself in future," he muttered, opening the door for me, and touching my hair.